1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a protective glove.
2. Problem to be Solved
Prior art protective gloves are typically fabricated from leather. Such gloves do not have sufficient durability for handling sharp cable, barbed wire, concertina wire and razor wire. Consequently, these prior art gloves deteriorate due to abrasions, cuts, tears punctures thereby increasing the risk of injury to the wearer. In order to remedy these deficiencies, manufacturers began fabricating these gloves from relatively thick layers of leather. However, the increased thickness of the gloves caused the gloves to be relatively heavy, bulky, cumbersome and inflexible. Another disadvantage is the increase in the weight of the gloves when the gloves contact and absorb liquids, e.g. water, petroleum, lubricants, etc.
Typically, metal staples are used to assemble the aforementioned prior art leather gloves. Specifically, metal staples are inserted into the leather glove with a hand operated stapling machine so as to attach the front and back layers of the glove together and to form rows of staples throughout the front side of the glove to provide slash or cut protection. However, staples typically corrode or rust when exposed to moisture, water, chemicals, etc. Since the process for assembling the prior art gloves is basically a relatively time-consuming manual process, the per-unit cost of the prior art gloves is relatively high.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved protective glove that solves the problems associated with prior art conventional gloves.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved protective glove that can be manufactured at reasonable costs.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the ensuing description of the present invention.
The present invention is directed to a protective glove comprising a first portion for covering the palm-side of a wearer""s hand and a second portion that is attached to the first portion and which covers the back side of the wearer""s hand. The first portion comprises a single, seamless piece of pliable plastic molded in a three-dimensional shape that conforms to the shape of a hand in a relaxed position. The second portion is comprised of a cut resistant material. The protective glove includes thumb and finger stalls. Each stall has a first side corresponding to the palm side of the wearer""s hand and a second side that corresponds to the back side of the wearer""s hand. Each stall is comprised of the pliable plastic except for a portion of the second side of each stall which is comprised of the cut resistant material. In one embodiment, the cut-resistant material is also liquid resistant.